Moussa Niakhate and Jerry St Juste could both leave Mainz amid interest from Premier League clubs Newcastle United, Everton and West Ham, Bundesliga boss Bo Svensson tells the Allgemeine Zeitung.
If it’s a reliable centre-half you want – and make no mistake, Everton need one of those – then the MEWA Arena is the place to go. A Mainz side who only avoided relegation via the skin of their teeth last term have conceded just 36 goals in 30 league games this.
Only Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Freiburg can better that tally.
Niakhate, Mainz’s captain colossus who scores goals as well as keeps them out, has played his way onto the radars of Everton, West Ham and Newcastle, according to The Telegraph.
The Hammers and the Magpies are also looking at Niakhate’s centre-back partner St Juste – a jet-heeled Dutchman clocked as the fastest player in the Bundesliga recently. Leicester are admirers too.
Both Niakhate and St Juste are out of contract in 2023. And, according to reports, the defensive duo could be available for a bargain £8 million and £10 million respectively.
From Bundesliga to the Premier League?
“They might both go. It’s also possible that one of them stays. To think that both will stay is very optimistic,” admits Svensson, Mainz’s miracle-working manager and a fitting successor to Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel.
“Everyone sees the quality they both have. They are at their best footballing age. They still have a year left on their contracts and you don’t go into the last year of a contract with players like that without them either extending or going somewhere else.
“That’s the situation. I value both of them very much. Not only as footballers, but also personality-wise. They are both absolute leaders.
“Should they leave us, I’ll be very grateful for the time I’ve spent with them here. We’ll have to try to replace them in that case.”
- How Rangers’ XI could look in 22/23, including 5 new signings
- How West Ham’s XI could look in 22/23 with 4 new signings
According to Sky Germany, Newcastle opened talks to sign former Feyenoord man St Juste in January.
The former Netherlands U21 ace would add real pace to a Newcastle defence which, while increasingly durable under Eddie Howe, is not exactly the quickest.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
